Course Offerings

FRENCH LANGUAGE COURSE

Students at all levels take French language classes. The amount of credits each student receives for the French language classes varies and depends on the student’s level placement and session duration. *Students may not exceed 15 semester credits total on this program.

French language classes are designed to increase students’ written and oral comprehension and expression. All French language classes involve Oral French, Written French, and Grammar.

FRENCH CIVILIZATION COURSES

Each course has one three-hour session per week.

All students earn up to 45 contact hours or three (3) semester credits per course.

Courses are listed according to language level. Often a course will include a couple of levels; students at either/any of the listed levels may take that course.

ENGLISH TAUGHT COURSES

Each course meets once per week for four hours. Students should choose 1-3 electives from the following courses. These courses are subject to change due to availability and enrollment numbers.

Architecture In A Changing World – Paris 1789-1914 (3) – Conducted in English [Syllabus]

This survey course offers students a thematic approach to architecture through the period opening with the French revolution and ending at the eve of World War I. Shifting modes of architecture through various styles and functions will be examined using key works in Paris, studying the opposing forces of the artistic and political establishments. By replacing architectural advances in the broader context of a modernization of Paris, we will examine how architecture offers insights into social and political changes. This course more particularly proposes to look at architectures whose functions, materials, colors and forms were relevant to modernity.

The objective of this course is to give students, who already have some knowledge of international affairs, a basic introduction to European external relations and particularly within the North-South context. Relations between individual European nations and other areas of the globe have existed since the 15th century and today these relations are continued through the European Union. The course will therefore provide an introduction to the EU institutional structures and decision-making processes that concern EU external relations and the foreign policy of specific member-states (Germany, France and the United Kingdom). Students will also learn about European civil society through the operations of non-governmental organizations, centering on their relations with EU institutions and their international activities in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

The objective of this course is to give students grounding in the historical, political and economic aspects of the European integration process since World War II and to acquaint students with the EU institutional structure and decision-making processes as well as to study the various political, economic and social aspects of the EU. Through this course, students will gain a critical insight into the internal contradictions and the additional challenges that the EU has to deal with in order to enhance cooperation among its members and to function as a credible actor in a multipolar world. A recurring element will be the crisis in the Eurozone, and its consequences on the credibility of the European project, particularly given the recent European Parliament elections.

Fashion in France – 18th to 21st Century (3) – Conducted in English [Syllabus]

This course focuses on the development of costume and fashion in France from the late 17th Century to the present. Topics covered include: the influence of the state in organizing luxury industries (with Louis XIV, Napoleon); the Restoration and the Romantic Era; “Fin de Siècle” and Belle Epoque fashion; the Roaring Twenties; Wartime fashion; Haute couture and “Prêt à Porter”. Class time may be separated into lecture hours and site visits (museum, exhibitions, etc.) where students can see the original documents and/or appreciate the object of study in the wider cultural context of its time.

This film course will focus on the history of French cinema, from its scientific beginning at the end of the 19th century, along with the Industrial Revolution, through the diversity of representations in the 20th century until the beginning of the 21st. In order to embody those changes, we will study the important authors whose contribution have made french cinema unique. Historical films will be the main guideline, but in its broadest aspect, from opinion position to historical reenactment and how documentary becomes historical fact. This theme has been fully explored since the beginning of cinema, and that will allow us to question representation and its diverse evolution along with the transformation of society. Leading French filmmakers challenged this rediscovery of the past, guiding us through the analysis of the language of the moving image.

Politics, Economy and Society in France Today (3) – Conducted in English [Syllabus]

The main objective of this course is to give students a basic grounding in how France functions by critically examining the political system, the workings of the economy and pertinent social issues. The prime place given to the Republic and Republican values have colored French institutions and society for more than two centuries but today France is faced with a number of contradictions that challenge many of its founding myths. Through this course, students will gain a better understanding of the peculiarities endogenous to the French Republic and the important debates within politics, economy and society that mark France today.

OPTIONAL ENGLISH COURSES

OPTIONAL COURSES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH – SEMESTER STUDENTS ONLY

These elective courses are taught in English through the University of Connecticut. Offerings vary per semester.

Art History: From the Impressionists to Picasso (3) – Conducted in English – FALL

If Paris has been known as the “capital city of the nineteenth century (regarding its architecture or the design of the main avenues and boulevards, for example), the post-WWII era was a time of deep transformation in the way of life, in the political structure of French society, and in cultural and social representations as well. Based on a chronological presentation of the main events, focusing on the city of Paris, on daily life, buildings, movies, paintings, and theoretical developments, we will try to delineate the main aspects of this era.

Human Rights: Being International (3) – Conducted in English – FALL

This course offers an introduction to international Human Rights Law. Each class will be structured around a lecture and a case study with a focus on important human rights issues in France. Students will become acquainted with the fundamentals of human rights and will become aware of specific human rights issues that arise in France.

Art History II / From Paris to the Rest of the World: Modern and Post Modern Art (3) – Conducted in English – SPRING

This course is a comparative analysis of artistic concepts, works and movements, important to the distinction between Modernism and Postmodernism in 20th Century Art. It will also study the geopolitical issues of Art. Through an examination of form and content distinguishable in works of various artistic disciplines (painting, sculpture, architecture, design), students will critically evaluate artistic language and expression that is representative of modern and post-modern ideologies. This course will examine the visual arts and will utilize theoretical texts for supportive analysis.

Translation Through the Press (3) – Conducted in English – SPRING

This translation course focuses, for the most part, on material from the Parisian written press. In addition to familiarizing students with some of the techniques of translation in general, the course constitutes a cultural studies approach to France through the press since translating exercises will be accompanied by presentations of the different materials used (newspapers, television, film) and by discussions of the news itself. In addition to acquiring the basic translation skills, students will acquire a vocabulary particular to the press and current events, improve their French-language skills more generally, and view of France by way of its press and the news at a particular historical, political and cultural “moment.” There is no textbook for the course; instead, students will purchase different newspapers and magazines and be provided with links to particular media sites. Partial list of newspapers and magazines: Le Monde, Le Figaro, L’Humanité, Charlie Hebdo, Paris-Match, Libération, Le Parisien, Le Canard enchaîné

OPTIONAL FRENCH COURSES

These 300 level (Advanced) courses are taught in French and are offered exclusively to API students. The number of semester credits is indicated in parentheses after the course title. Students typically take this course in place of a ICP elective. An additional fee may be charged for participation in the API course (whether taken in place of or in addition to a regular elective course). Course subject to minimum enrollment.

History of French Cuisine (3) – Conducted in French – FALL

Who has never dreamt of chocolate mousse, foie gras, or fondue? Why is France so attached to its cuisine and culinary traditions? How did they develop and what role do they play within daily life as well as national identity? How could the French indulge themselves in fastuous and lengthy meals and joyfully continue to speak about food while eating? What does eating mean? This course is designed to understand the role and place of French Cuisine within its society from an historical, ethnological, and sociological point of view, and to put into practice this “savoir vivre français” by cooking some traditional dishes and sharing them together. This is a reading and research class, with a cooking and tasting component.

French Civilization (3) – Conducted in French – SPRING

The post-WWII era was a time of deep transformations in the French way of living, the political structure of the French society, and through cultural and social representations and is strongly represented through the Parisian architecture and the design of the main avenues and boulevards. This course examines French society chronologically from 1945 to today by highlighting the main events of this era and examining the city itself through daily life, buildings, movies, paintings, and theoretical developments.

TEACHING INTERNSHIP

All students with 4 semesters of college level French (equivalent to the intermediate level) or more are able to participate in the teaching internship for an additional 3 credits. Beginning and intermediate-level students can also do the internship, but are not eligible to earn credit or a grade for the experience. Spaces are limited and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. An additional fee is charged for the internship.

A French Experience: Internship (3)

Students teach English in a French school. This is a unique experience for API students in Paris to get to know Parisians and Parisian life from the inside, not only through the teenagers in the classes students teach, but also from the teachers that students assist.

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

Students teach English two to three hours a week in a Parisian school. The regular professor asks the student what is to be taught and helps students prepare for class. Students are asked to keep a journal where all course plans and weekly evaluations are registered (one page per class, per course taught). Students also have to write a final internship report (in French) analyzing the French teaching system and their perception of French society through their own teaching experience. Upon successful completion students earn 3 semester credits.